United Nations Foundation Statement on UNFPA “State of World Population 2012” Report

Report highlights the importance of universal access to family planning

Washington, D.C. —
November 14, 2012

United Nations Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin today issued the following statement on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, The State of World Population 2012: By Choice, Not By Chance – Family Planning, Human Rights and Development.

“As this report makes clear, family planning is a human right that contributes to a host of positive health and development outcomes. Today, more than 220 million women around the world want, but don’t have, access to modern contraceptives. Empowering women and addressing this unmet need would not only save women’s lives but would improve the lives of people everywhere. The report finds that making voluntary family planning available to everyone in developing countries would reduce costs for maternal and newborn health care by $11.3 billion annually. Studies have shown that investments in girls’ education, women’s reproductive rights, and greater access to voluntary family planning correlate with healthier families, higher family incomes, economic development, and environmental sustainability. These are important outcomes not only for these women, but for the world at large.

“The United Nations Population Fund continues to be a leader in promoting voluntary family planning services, and this report builds on the momentum from this summer’s London Summit on Family Planning to highlight the unmet need and unprecedented opportunity. The United Nations Foundation will continue to work with UNFPA and other partners to expand access to voluntary family planning services, helping to protect human rights and build a better world.”

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About the United Nations FoundationThe United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.